Fashionable Laurier West mashes it up with MTLàTABLE
Ivy Lerner-Frank
This article was published on October 30, 2023.
Fashion-forward Laurier Avenue West has always been a classic: chic and sophisticated, with just a touch of earthiness for good measure. Spanning from Mile End to Outremont, the food on the Avenue keeps that fun feeling going, with spectacular brasseries and bistros that have stood the test of time, Asian flavours to please all palates, and comfort food to take the edge off a chilly fall night during MTLàTABLE, from November 3 to 19, 2023.
The Classics:
La Chronique
104 Laurier Avenue West l Website
La Chronique’s intimate space is the perfect showcase for the refined dining they’ve shared for almost three decades on the Avenue. Their market-fresh menu starts with local trout gravlax or foie gras terrine and finishes with a caramel panna cotta or a Québec cheese plate. Complement your choices with La Chronique’s Wine Spectator-lauded pairings, and a lovely evening awaits.
Fiorellino
381 Laurier Avenue West l Website
Laurier Avenue favourite Fiorellino welcomes singles, couples, groups and families alike in their sophisticated, white tiled space featuring a beautiful domed wood-burning pizza oven. Their special menu features comforting primi, secondi, and dolci guaranteed to please. Try their Pizza tartufata with wild Quebec mushrooms as a main and leave room for an indulgent dessert.
Chez Lévêque
1030 Laurier Avenue West l Website
Chez Lévêque just celebrated their fiftieth, and the generous five-course menu on offer shows why they’re so beloved. Whether you’re sitting in a cozy banquette upstairs or downstairs, Chez Lévêque’s elegant brasserie fare will wow you, with homemade rillettes, cassoulet, and even their famous Trou Normand. Don’t miss the iced nougat dessert with Chartreuse or the floating island with pistachio English cream.
Leméac
1045 Laurier Avenue West l Website
Outremont diners know that Leméac’s all-season terrace is the perfect perch for watching the world go by. Enjoy a Québec- inspired menu here, including a bone marrow and bourgots appetizer and stuffed guinea fowl or Gaspesian Arctic char mains. Just make sure to leave room for Leméac’s famous sky-high French toast for dessert.
Asian:
Côba Sushi
1124 Laurier Avenue West l Website
With two decades of serving Pan Asian cuisine on the Avenue, Côba Sushi can satisfy cravings for dumplings, sushi, sashimi, and imperial rolls, too. Their MTLàTABLE menu features all of these, plus a flower-adorned chef’s salad and soba noodles with miso-marinated black cod.
New:
Le Wine Room by Pamika
240 Laurier Avenue West l Website
Chef Pamika’s fourth restaurant in Montreal features her favourite soups, snacks, and curries, all paired with an extensive range of wines specially chosen to complement the flavours of authentic Thai food. Enjoy a savoury four-course menu at Le Wine Room, starting with spicy Tom Yum shrimp soup or a mellow Tom Kha coconut vegetable and mushroom soup.
Comfort food:
Greasy Spoon Restaurant
160 Laurier Avenue West l Website
It’s cozy as can be inside the Greasy Spoon Restaurant, especially on a cool fall evening. They’ve created a special warming menu, including lobster bisque to start and a veal chop with roasted garlic mashed potatoes as a main. The relaxed vibe here is sweater-weather worthy, guaranteed to make you feel right at home.
Ivy Lerner-Frank
Ivy has called Beijing, Bangalore, Delhi, Hong Kong and Manila home, but loves Montréal the best. She’s been obsessed with figuring out what to eat and where for as long as she can remember, is always keen to hear people’s food stories (and cook with them), and has never met a dumpling she doesn’t like. She writes about food and other stuff for The Main, Fine Dining Lovers, The Globe and Mail, Montreal Gazette, Canada's 100 Best and (the late) Eater Montreal.